af2 week 14 game recaps

MACON, Ga. - The Macon Knights upset the Memphis Xplorers, 38-33, on Friday
night at Piedmont Sports Medicine Complex Field at the Macon Coliseum. The
Knights fell behind only once in the game and OS Chavis McCollister caught
the game-winning score and was awarded the Cutters Catch of the Game for
that touchdown catch. McCollister also received the Schutt Offensive Player
of the Game Award for his performance. The second-year performer caught
seven passes for 124 yards and all five of QB Chad Elliott's passing
touchdowns. The Knights fans saw the Macon offense use some plays that have
not been used this season. One play that surprised the Xplorers defense was
a screen pass to tight end Andre Slappey. Slappey caught the pass and ended
up 17 yards downfield. Slappey also stepped up on defense and came through
with a sack late in the game to halt the momentum of the Xplorers. The sack
also extended his lead for career sacks to 3.5 ahead of Ed Wangler. Wangler,
however, did pass Slappey for most sacks in a season with eight after
recording a sack as well. The ADT Defensive Player of the Game was Knights
WR/LB Jamaal Garman, who posted three tackles and one interception. U.S.
Army Ironman of the Game honors went to Macon's Matt Jackson, who recorded
10.5 tackles, two pass breakups and one interception in the end zone to
preserve the Knights lead. The Xplorers were led offensively by QB Brian
Jones. Jones completed 26-of-42 passes for 260 yards and two touchdowns, but
also threw two costly interceptions. WR/DB Terrance Quattlebaum also
contributed on offense with nine catches for 101 yards and one touchdown.
Quattlebaum also helped keep things close with his defensive effort of seven
total tackles and one fumble recovery that he returned for 24 yards for a
touchdown. Macon improved to 5-7 with the win while Memphis fell to 9-4.

SATURDAY, JULY 1

Green Bay Blizzard 48, FLORIDA FIRECATS 47 (5,745)

ESTERO, Fla. - The Florida Firecats failed on a two-point conversion with 13
seconds to play which resulted in a 48-47 loss to the Green Bay Blizzard on
Saturday night at Germain Arena. The Firecats were in the same situation
last year in Green Bay, but the outcome was the opposite. Florida completed
the two-point conversion and won by the same, 48-47, score. The Blizzard
scored on their first two possessions, one on a catch by WR/LB Robert Garth
and the other on a run by FB/LB Peter Lazare. The scores gave Green Bay a
14-0 lead at the end of the first quarter. The Firecats finally got on the
board when WR/DB Ethenic Sands scored on a three-yard run. A missed extra
point made the score, 14-6. On the ensuing kickoff, Luke Leverson, the U.S.
Army Ironman of the Game, returned the kick 58 yards for a touchdown to give
the Blizzard a 21-6 advantage. A touchdown pass from Schutt Offensive Player
of the Game Chris Wallace to Magic Benton, a fumble by Green Bay QB James
MacPherson, and a touchdown reception by Sands tied the score at 21-21 at
the half. The Firecats had the first possession in the second half and took
advantage of it with a Wallace-to-Brent Burnside 43-yard scoring pass. Green
Bay got another score from Garth, but missed the extra point, meaning the
Firecats held a 28-27 edge on the scoreboard. The teams then traded long
touchdown passes to tie the score at 34-34. Florida started the final
quarter with Wallace hitting Benton for an 18-yard touchdown and a 41-34
lead. Green Bay then tied it at 41 when MacPherson found Brent Holmes in the
end zone. The Blizzard then mounted a long drive and scored on a quarterback
sneak by MacPherson that left the Firecats with just 56 seconds to make up a
48-41 deficit. A 23-yard kick return by Tellis gave Florida great field
position to start its final drive. With only 13 seconds left, Wallace found
Sands for a score that put the Firecats down only one. Instead of going for
the tie, the Firecats attempted a two-point try for the win. Wallace's
conversion pass intended for Burnside went incomplete as the ball bounced
off his fingertips. The onside kick was recovered by the Firecats, but
didn't go the required 10 yards. MacPherson then ran out the clock to seal
the Green Bay win. A Florida victory would have guaranteed the team a first
round home playoff game. The Blizzard, winners of three consecutive games,
improved their record to 8-5. The Firecats fell to 9-3 overall.

Spokane Shock 46, ARKANSAS TWISTERS 23 (5,192)

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. - The expansion Spokane Shock clinched a playoff spot in
just their first season of play thanks to an impressive, 46-23, road win
Saturday night in Arkansas. The Twisters struck first when Delenell Reid
returned the opening kickoff 41 yards to the Spokane 11-yard line and David
Carlton hit for a 20-yard field goal to give Arkansas a 3-0 lead. Spokane
answered by driving down field and Raul Vijil scored on a two-yard run. Jon
Koker's extra point put the Shock out front, 7-3. The Twisters marched down
field and scored their first touchdown of the night when QB Walter Church
found OS Robert Kilow for a 10-yard score to give Arkansas the lead again at
10-7. The touchdown catch was Kilow's 20th on the season, becoming just the
fifth receiver in team history to accomplish the feat. Spokane QB Kyle
Rowley had the hot hand during the game and led the Shock to six of the next
eight scores in the game. He found WR/DB Charles Frederick three times in
the first half as Spokane built a 27-17 lead at halftime. The Shock began
the second half in the same fashion they ended the first with Rowley finding
Frederick again to extend their lead to 33-17. Kegan Coleman scored on a
6-yard pass from Church on the ensuing drive for the Twisters only score of
the second half. Rowley threw two more touchdowns to put the final score at
46-23. Church finished 16-of-31 for 147 yards, two touchdowns and two
interceptions. Kilow caught a team- high nine passes for 69 yards and one
touchdown. The Twisters vaunted sack combination of Steve Watson and C. J.
McLain were held at bay for most of the game with McLain getting the team's
only sack when the game was already decided. Rowley earned Schutt Offensive
Player of the Game honors after completing 32-of-41 passes for 243 yards and
six touchdowns. Frederick caught a game-high 15 passes for 144 yards and
five scores, earning U. S. Army Ironman of the Game honors. Spokane DS Rob
Keefe earned ADT Defensive Player of the Game honors with three tackles and
two interceptions. Spokane improved to a league-best 10-2 on the season
while the Twisters fell to 8-5.

BOSSIER CITY, La. - The Bossier-Shreveport Battle Wings lost their starting
quarterback and their leading receiver to injury and never recovered,
falling at home to the Rio Grande Valley Dorados, 61-48, on Saturday night
at CenturyTel Center. Stan Hill, a rookie from Marshall, started at
quarterback for the second week in a row, but suffered a broken collarbone
on the Battle Wings' first offensive possession. J.J. Raterink, who started
the first ten games of the season, came into the game and threw two
first-half interceptions, which led directly to Rio Grande Valley scores.
Anthony Chambers, who is Bossier-Shreveport's most potent offensive and kick
return threat, suffered a quad injury in the second half and didn't return.
The Battle Wings defense had a couple of bright moments late in the game as
Phillip Geiggar and Terrell Sutton intercepted Josh Kellet passes, but by
then the game was already out of reach. Raterink connected with Vernard
Abrams for a 16-yard touchdown pass with 9:03 remaining in the game to cut
the Rio Grande Valley lead to 14, 54-40. However, the Battle Wings were
unable to recover an ensuing on-side kick. The Dorados responded in quick
fashion as Kellett connected with Dwight Counter on the first play of the
possession for a 41-yard touchdown that upped Rio Grande Valley's lead to
21, 61-40. The Dorados swept the game awards, led by Counter, who earned
Schutt Offensive Player of the Game honors with eight catches for 161 yards
and four scores. Brent Withers earned ADT Defensive Player of the Game
honors with three tackles and one pass breakup. Chris Canty (3 catches, 46
yards, 1 TD, 3 KR for 51 yards, 2 tackles) played well on both sides of the
ball and was named U.S. Army Ironman of the Game. Kellett's performance
(20-of-28 passing, 336 yards, 6 TDs, 2 INTs) was also impressive considering
it was his first game back from a six-week layoff due to a broken hand.
Raterink paced Bossier-Shreveport by completing 25-of-38 passes for five
touchdowns, two of which went to Chambers. Chambers also ran for one
touchdown. The Dorados improved to 6-7 with the win, while the Battle Wings
dropped to 2-10.